Thank you BPEC on behalf of Bansang Hospital

The Principle Nursing Officer, doubling as Administrator, Wandifa Samateh has written a short report documenting the progression of the Bansang Hospital.

Background information:
Bansang Hospital is the oldest and the second largest hospital in the Gambia. The Hospital was built in 1938 during the colonial period to serve the rural population who are also considered as the poorest of the poor. The Hospital serves catchment area population of more than four hundred thousand inhabitants not only within the Gambia but also across the border. The ageing structures of the Hospital coupled with inadequate and regular maintenance services, has left indelible marks on the Hospital’s infrastructure (Buildings and equipments). Prominent among the problems was the issue of plumbing (old and leaking toilets with poor sewers). The ongoing maintenance services for toilet facilities have been a challenging and daunting task for Hospital administrations for the past decades. However, following Bansang Hospital Appeal’s winning of the BPEC grant; authorities in the Hospital have finally seen light at the end of the tunnel (bright future for the Hospital’s plumbing problems).

Scope of the project:
Following the secure of funds by the Hospital authorities, the project was designed to be executed in 3 phases.

Phase 1 – This phase was meant to address all plumbing issues with the offices toilet facilities and the beneficiary offices were:
• Toilet for the office of the Chief Executive
• Toilet for support service staff at the Administration building
• Toilet for the office of the Principal Nursing Officer doubling as the Administrator
• Toilet for the on-call senior nurses office

Phase 2 – Phase two was to look after all plumbing needs of the Units for both staff toilets and patient toilets. The wards identified were:
• Maternity Unit including Labor room and post natal ward
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Male ward and Pediatric were exempted as they were done recently under the Bansang Hospital Appeal projects. Female ward and Eye Unit were also exempted – Eye unit to benefit from one-sight project and Female ward was promised to be looked after by the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority.

Phase 3 – This phase is earmarked for the establishment of new toilets at the general outpatient department, the Hospital main store and the maintenance unit. Additionally one of the staff quarters two toilet blocks that has badly subsided and about to be collapse with staff still occupying has also been identified to benefit from the BPEC funds.

Implementation process
The first phase of the project has been successfully implemented and works done included the following;
• Removal and replacement of all floor tiles and wall tiles at the sites mentioned under phase 1. However, the floor tiles for the PNO’s office and the Nurses on-call room were retained.
• Removal and replacement of old toilet seats and tanks with new ones
• Removal of old wash hand basins and replacements with new ones
• Additional installation of urinals
• Installation of soap and other detergent dispensers in all toilets mentioned under phase 1.

The following works have commenced on phase 2 and 3:
• Erection of new toilet structure for the main store completed. Toilet fixing and connections to sewers incomplete
• Removal of floor tiles and wall tiles at the antenatal and post natal ward within the maternity
• Commencement of retiling at the mentioned facility
• Mounding of bricks and demolition of 2 of the subsidence toilets at the staff quarters

Challenges:
Slow progress of work recently due to the following factors
• An executive directive to immediately work on the new Gambian doctor’s (gynecologist) accommodation has diverted all attentions to that task. This is the first time for more than 10 years we are having a Gambian Doctor coming to Bansang and all efforts to sustain them away from the coast has been given priority.
• Absence of a specialist tile man has also hampered the work at some stage. The hospital is using the Masons for the tiling too hence the fund did not accommodate payment or outsourcing the project work.
• Numerous ongoing refurbishment works and emergency maintenance calls have also slowed the speed.

However the first Doctor’s accommodation is almost completed, all men will be withdrawn next week to continue on BPEC project. Efforts have already been made to get the Ministry outsource the residence of the second Doctor yet to come in order to get our men concentrate on completing the BPEC project.

Conclusion
In conclusion, we would like to express our depth of gratitude to BPEC through Anita Smith for the wonderful gesture. We have already seen the benefit of the project and would want to assure BPEC that the project fund will be spent rightfully on areas mentioned above and any suggestions of spending money elsewhere not mentioned will be communicated to all parties involved for approval.

Finally the sample lights Mark brought are really helpful and were found to be very instrumental for security purposes. The one at the admin almost scared me running the first time I step there at night.

Thank you all on behalf of Bansang Hospital.

See a full collection of images from the Bansang Hospital here